The present invention generally relates to lighting devices (e.g., flashlights) and, more particularly, to a portable lighting device that allows for user control of light illumination intensity.
Portable lighting devices, such as flashlights, generally employ a light source, such as an incandescent lamp or one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), a reflector, a lens and a power source, such as one or more electrochemical cell batteries. The conventional flashlight further typically includes a user actuatable switch for activating the light source to turn the light source either on or off. In doing so, the switch generally closes a contact, which closes a current connection to provide battery power to the light source, or opens the contact to break the circuit connection to prohibit power supply to the light source.
In order to provide multiple selectable light illumination intensities, some conventional flashlights have employed multiple switch positions to turn on or off selected numbers of light emitting diodes (LEDs). However, multiple lamps are typically employed in such flashlights and usually a small number of select predetermined light illumination intensities are provided, typically without the ability to effectively select other light illumination intensities.
It would be desirable to have a portable lighting device that allows more flexibility in achieving a desired light illumination intensity.